Who is Goutam Rakshit, the unheralded stalwart of Indian advertising who passed away?

How can someone forget the iconic ONIDA Devil and the company's epic tagline "Neighbour's Envy. Owner's Pride!" Probably never before in the history of advertising came such an ad campaign with a classic devil clad in green with horns. A negative character sporting the leading Television manufactures of the time, stayed in the advertisements from 1985 till 2000.

The iconic TV ad ever

The iconic ad with the devil popping behind from an Onida TV with a mouth wearing a wicked smile, joined by the tagline "Neighbour's Envy. Owner's Pride" was created by Advertising Avenues – founded by Goutam Rakshit and his friends.

When people still meet Goutam, and are told that he's one among the men behind the iconic ONIDA DEVIL, and the unforgettable tagline, they tend to look at him with some degree of renewed interest.

Goutam along with his colleagues Ashok Roy and Gopi Kukde, helped ONIDA become the No.1 Premium TV brand in the country within a very short span. The team developed long term marketing and positioning strategies, and focused on creating breakthrough advertising campaigns.

Over a career spanning decades, Goutam, has similarly helped many Indian entrepreneurs, who had an idea and a dream, to launch their products and services, and to develop their businesses successfully. He worked for Advertising Avenues, a non-govt company in Mumbai, as board member and director, alongside Kukde and Roy for years.

A career that developed through every sector

In his initial years, he joined as Cadbury India's first Management Trainee. After the training at Cadbury's Beeches College, in Bournville, UK, Goutam started and headed the Company's new Management Development department - one of the first of its kind in India, (the others are at Glaxo and Hindustan Lever).

Goutam's career runs long his life. His experience spans across almost every sector:

• consumer electronics
•  apparels (VIP Frenchie Innerwear, Lovable Lingerie)
• confectionery & foods (Cadbury)
• cosmetics (Shingar Sindoor, Kajal, Eyeliners)
• pharmaceuticals (Aventis Pharma: Ethical Drugs, Arava for Rheumatoid Arthritis)
• FMCG (Marico: Parachute Coconut Oil,  Camlin Pencils, Uniball Pens)
• household products (VIP SKYBAGS, ALL OUT Mosquito Repellent), and what not!

Goutam also worked as the Head of the Marketing programme at at IIM, Ahmedabad, as a visiting faculty.

Chairman of Asian Federation of Advertising Association

In his later period, he turned to be the chairman of Asian Federation of Advertising Association (AFAA). AFAA is an umbrella body of all advertising associations in the Asian region. He organised different programs like AdAsia, the advertising Kumbha of Asia, to develop the advertising agency in the country and make it the pioneering among the world nations.

For 2004-05, Goutam was appointed as the Chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).

According to Goutam, Indian entrepreneurs and Indian companies have enormous potential to grow their businesses, even more today. They have confidence, ambition, and will power; along with the technical skills and know how.

With his new endeavour, Goutam now works as Chief Business and Marketing Stratergy Advisor for his own firm, Goutam Rakshit and Associates in Mumbai.